Archive for September, 2015

Now celebrating its 40th birthday, the Volkswagen GTI has a new model that makes it feel like a teenager again. The Clubsport, which unfortunately will not be available in America, provides 261 horsepower, a slightly different look and tons of fun to anyone lucky enough to drive one. The Clubsport even has an overboost mode that provides an extra 20 horsepower in short spurts, providing just enough oomph to get to the front of the line. Conservative figures have the little hatchback making the 0-60 mph run in just 5.9 seconds with the dual clutch automatic, but reviewers say the numbers are better than that. Although you can’t get the Clubsport, here, you can get the next best thing, the Golf GTI at Chapman VW Tucson.

Clubsport Adds a Little Style to GTI Hatchback

With a straked front end, prominent rear spoiler and side skirting, the Clubsport has the appearance of a European rally car. All the parts add to the stability of the little car around corners, while the interior features navigation, bolstered seats and enough bling to keep you happy on the straightaways. A black strip is a nod to the original 1976 GTI, while a black roof contrasts to the white paint to give the car just a nod of aggression. Top speed on the vehicle is 155 miles per hour, which won’t win any races on the Autobahn but is plenty to get the heart pumping.

Golf GTI a Hit in America

Although you can’t buy the Clubsport here, the Golf GTI is setting record sales in America. With 210 horses of turbocharged thunder under the hood, sport-tuned suspension and a driving mode selector that lets you fine-tune your car based on the road and your mood, the little hatchback offers plenty of sportiness for most people. The Golf GTI is filled with the latest technology, including a touchscreen sound system, rearview camera and VW’s own app system for your smart phone. Test drive your Golf GTI today at Chapman VW Tucson.

Great Car for Commutes or Camping

With more than 52 cubic feet of cargo space, this little people hauler is great for hauling folks or stuff like tents and backpacks. An adjustable cargo floor and 60/40 folding rear seat lets you change the interior to fit your load. With up to 34 miles per gallon on the highway, it’s a long time in between fill-ups for you to enjoy the luxury and handling that makes the GTI so popular.

Companies produce billions of products to serve people from various backgrounds. We as consumers always see the end product, but do you give any thought about how that product is made? Do you ever thing about all the various manufacturing procedures that went into making your car? How about the emissions from those manufacturing processes? When you look at the minerals and raw materials used for production, the actual consumer use of the product as well as recycling efforts, every single emission adds up. Carbon dioxide is produced from the burning of fossil fuels. Coal, natural gas and oil production generates methane. Nitrous oxide is a result of fossil fuel combustion. The harmful effects go on and on. There are emissions targets that the manufacturers are required to meet however some surpass these targets while other are concerned about minimizing their carbon footprint.

The Volkswagen group, including Chapman VW Tucson, has set some very high standards and is going above and beyond similar companies in an effort to help the environment. By 2050 VW is planning to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions in its passenger vehicles by 90%. Their greenhouse gas emissions as a result of production are to be reduced by 40% from 2010 to 2020. Plug-in hybrid, battery electric, fuel cell and hybrid vehicles will all play their part as long as they can streamline their production and recycling procedures. VW is also set to invest $10 million updating its infrastructure all over the U.S. by 2016.

Even with these measures in place, millions of vehicles are made annually and VW produces millions on its own. The carbon offset is one effective way that big companies can reduce their environmental impact. Basically the offset is a type of “credit”. Companies can buy carbon credits via projects that minimize carbon and greenhouse gases. Offsets are voluntary but the emission limits are not, therefore it is a great way to meet emission targets while doing good for the environment.

In an effort to minimize emissions, Volkswagen is cooperating with 3degrees as well as The Conservation Fund – both companies are spearheading projects along the Garcia River to minimize the impact of logging, to protect wildlife along with other conservation efforts. 3degrees is a ‘broker’ for the offset projects and The Conservation Fund (a non-profit organization) owns the Garcia Forest which it bought in 2004. The ultimate objective of The Conservation Fund is to make sure businesses operate in a sustainable way within the forest while preserving and growing the habitat at the same time.

When it comes to the compact crossover sector, Volkswagen has been lagging behind its competition. The higher priced Tiguan with its understated styling just didn’t stand out from its numerous competitors. The Tiguan has been completely redesigned and the German auto maker is hoping for better results.

The new VW Tiguan compact crossover is expected to make its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month; however this 5 seater is just one of a number of options in store for the nameplate’s 2nd iteration.

A 7seater with a longer wheelbase is expected for the Tiguan and might become the standard version for the US market. Beginning in 2017, it will be built at a Mexican plant and will be in showrooms in the US as a 2018 model.

A Tiguan Coupe is also in the works according to Autocar. VW already has an array of Cross Coupe concepts on the market with the most recent offering being the Cross Coupe GTE which came out earlier this year.

The popularity of the high-riding models has never been higher and it is expected to grow even more. For this reason the major automakers are rushing to launch a slew of SUVs and crossover in the upcoming years.

That includes the Tiguan Coupe for VW, but they are also expecting to release a new mid-size 7 seater crossover as well as a coupe-like model both based on the CrossBlue concept from 2013. Also expected are a subcompact crossover with the 2014 T-Roc as the basis and a minicar crossover based on the 2012 Tiguan concept. VW is using its flexible MQB platform to pump out these various Tiguan models. VW Up running gear was the inspiration for the Tiguan concept.

Autocar stated that a high-performance R model is in the works for the Tiguan Coupe. The Tiguan Coupe R would have a powertrain like the one on the Golf R, which is a turbocharged 300 hp 2.0-liter 4 cylinder engine. There will be a number of upgrades to the chassis so that it can handle the more powerful engine. The upgrades will include a suspension that is sport-tuned, updated brakes and various driving modes that can be selected to adjust to various dynamic features.

The new Tiguan Coupe is expected in 2017 and if the R model is green lighted, expect it one year later at Chapman Volkswagen. If you’re on the lookout for a Volkswagen in Tucson, be sure to stop by our dealership.